


Caught in a bit of a scandal

by quietude_et_douceur



Series: Centre of attention [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-12
Packaged: 2018-02-04 09:45:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1774639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietude_et_douceur/pseuds/quietude_et_douceur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for <a href="http://kinkme-merlin.livejournal.com/35615.html?thread=38602271#t38602271">this prompt</a> on KMM: <i>Arthur/Merlin, modern AU, mpreg</i></p>
<p>
  <i>Arthur is a famous footballer notorious for his playboy ways, except recently his relationships seem to have hit a dry spell. The reason is discovered via a tweet with an attached picture from Arthur right before his biggest game of the season announcing how pumped he is for the game and his "protege in the making".</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The picture is of well-known theater actor, Merlin Emrys, who took a hiatus for "family reasons" months ago. Merlin has his shirt pulled up over his--very obviously hugely pregnant--stomach with "Daddy's #1 Fangirl" painted over it in Arthur's team colors.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Cue the media shit storm and the fact the public had no idea they were even dating let alone friends.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Bonus points if the baby is shown in public at some point wearing a onesie replica of Arthur's jersey.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught in a bit of a scandal

**Author's Note:**

> De-anoned for the start of the World Cup (and also to fix some mistakes that have been bugging me for ages).
> 
> First of all, a massive thank you to every one who commented on the original KMM prompt, especially after it took me maybe 5 months to update. And a huge thank you to the OP for such a lovely prompt. Secondly, I should point out that I know next to nothing about football (in case you hadn't noticed).
> 
> I do have a sequel ready that should be up in a few hours (and not six months like you may have expected) but it's not quite the one I had in mind so there may be yet another sequel (that may, on the other hand, take six months).

"Arthur," his father, owner of the club, hisses, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to one side. "What is the meaning of this?" He shoves his phone at Arthur.

It takes Arthur a moment to focus – the biggest game of the season has just finished and Arthur's still high on it. He scored the winning goal for his team at the very last minute, 1-0, his heart is beating a million miles a minute, he's covered in cooling sweat and he's just so happy. When he finally manages to focus on his father's phone, his smile grows even wider.

On the screen is the tweet he'd sent off just before kick-off and beneath it, a picture of Merlin and his 'protégée in the making', as he likes to call their unborn daughter. Not that she'll be unborn for much longer, he thinks fondly as he looks at Merlin, his shirt pulled up to reveal his large baby bump covered with the words 'Daddy's No.1 Fangirl' in the colours of Camelot – royal red and forest green. He's got a huge smile on his face, the one where his eyes are almost closed, and he's positively glowing.

"That's Merlin," Arthur says.

"I know who he is," Uther snaps, pulling Arthur into a more secluded corner, away from any potential paparazzi. "Why do you have a picture of him in this condition?"

Arthur shrugs, not really knowing what to say. Even as the sweat on his body cools and the adrenaline from the game fades, the thought of Merlin never fails to make him giddy, even after all these months and it's hard to think of an answer that would satisfy his father. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know, Arthur. You tell me," his father answers through gritted teeth.

"I wanted to share the good news with my fans and supporters," is all Arthur says.

" _What_ good news, Arthur?" His father sounds like he's about to explode. Normally, it would make Arthur cringe and scramble to pacify his father, but today…

"I'm going to be a father. Merlin's pregnant with my daughter."

The fallout is exactly as Arthur had expected it. His father explodes, rants at him about his image, about the club, how he can't just go around gallivanting with men and getting them pregnant because these things have _consequences_ and he won't stand for Arthur dragging his hard-built reputation through the mud. Arthur tunes it out mostly, it's nothing he hasn't heard before.

Eventually, the rant winds down. "Is he here?" his father asks, angry, exhausted.

"Who?"

"The boy, Merlin Emrys," his father snaps impatiently.

"Oh god no, he's about to pop. There's no way he was going to let me drag him to the match. What if he gave birth during the match?"

"Small miracles," his father mutters darkly under his breath. Arthur still hears him. "Very well. Go and make yourself presentable, you have an interview in twenty minutes."

"Interview?" As far as Arthur knew, he had no interviews planned at least until tomorrow.

His father stares at him like he's stupid. "Did you really think you could get theatre prodigy Merlin Emrys pregnant and suffer no repercussions?"

*

Arthur has very little time to himself, just long enough to shower and put on some clean clothes. His teammates don't seem to know yet, slapping his back and congratulating him for scoring the last goal of the season. Arthur takes a deep breath as he enjoys his last few minutes of normalcy.

"We're heading out to the pub, coming?" Gwaine asks.

"Nah, I'll pass." He can't exactly tell him why he's not coming. If he tells them about the interview they'll want to know why and Arthur does want a few more minutes of this before he faces the media.

"Uther still on your back about your love life?" Gwaine jokes. "Shit, that sucks mate. You haven't been out for a drink with us in months!"

"Haha, yeah, something like that."

"I'd hate to be in your shoes though," Gwaine says as Arthur packs his kit away. "I'd go crazy if I couldn't go out and pick up birds. Still, I'll see you later, yeah?"

Arthur nods once and Gwaine lets the door bang shut behind him, leaving him alone. He grabs his phone.

'going to be late, sorry' he types before sending the message to Merlin, followed a minute later by 'dont wait up' because he doesn't know how long he's going to be and Merlin's a bit of an idiot at times. Merlin needs all the rest he can get these days.

He doesn't wait for Merlin to answer him and switches his phone off before going off to face the world.

*

This is far from the first interview for Arthur (that happened when he was five and he accompanied his father on the day he became the manager of a new club) so he wasn't usually nervous. But this is the first time he's being interviewed about something that matters so much to him, something with such huge stakes at play. Merlin’s important to him, he’s come to realise that, and, unlike football, there’s no such thing as being “good” or “bad” at relationships – they just are.

The instant he steps out onto the stage, he's assailed with bright flashes and what feels like every journalist in the world crammed into a too-small room and all shouting their questions at him at the same time.

"Is it true that Merlin Emrys is pregnant with your child?"  
"How did you two meet?"  
"How far along is he?"  
"When is he due?"  
"Is Mr Emrys giving up his career to focus on bringing up your child?"

Arthur sits there dumbstruck for a moment and the questions crash into him like a rogue wave, overwhelming all of his senses and leaving him struggling to respond. And this is only the beginning. Arthur's been doing this long enough to know that he'll be dealing with this frenzy for weeks. This is just a warm up, where they get enough information for tomorrow morning’s edition.

And not one of them takes a moment to congratulate him on scoring the winning goal.

Fortunately, his agent, Morgana, manages to make them sit back down, only pretending to be calm to get the interview started. It's at times like this that Arthur is thankful he hired his half-sister as his agent. Morgana is a bold, confident young woman who knows how to inspire respect and obedience when she wants or needs it. It’s a fantastic tool when you’re the agent of a footballer and have to deal with all sorts of messes – from ex-one night stands who want to sell their story to the press to being caught in a pub saying the wrong thing.

As the first journalist is selected to ask her question ("Mr Pendragon, can you confirm that Merlin Emrys is indeed pregnant?"), Arthur takes a deep breath and tries to relax. The only thing that's keeping him going at this point is the thought that he'll be home in a few hours and Merlin will probably be waiting for him.

It's going to be a long night, he thinks as he plasters on his best fake smile, honed from many years of experience, and starts to answer the question.

"I can definitely confirm that he's pregnant," he says. Not too much, not too little, and not deflecting. When you’re in the public eye, like Arthur is, you quickly learn invaluable skills such as these. Reporters need _something_ , but Arthur also needs to keep part of his private life… well, private.

Just this morning, he'd cuddled with Merlin as he put off getting up to go to work and he'd felt their baby move around under the taut skin of his belly. Just thinking of Merlin is enough to make him miss Merlin fiercely. He just wants this interview to be over so he can go home and cuddle Merlin some more and maybe even make love to him (though he'd never admit to calling it that). Sometimes he surprises himself with just how besotted he is.

"How long have you known Mr Emrys?" another asks, not even giving Arthur a second to breathe.

"Well, it all started a year ago when I was in London for a game."

A lie. It has only been almost ten months at this point but Arthur's fairly certain that his father will kill him if ever he learns that he knocked Merlin up less than a month after meeting him.

"We all went out for drinks afterwards and Merlin just happened to be there too. We met up every once in a while after that, then he asked me on a date and the rest is history."

Another lie. What really happened was that Arthur made a comment that could be interpreted as an insult about a play he’d been invited to see a bit too loud, Merlin, who was in the play, insulted him back, which lead to some of the best sex Arthur had ever had in his life, and that included Vivian, the daughter of a man who’d made his fortune designing innovative sex toys. It was only the next day, after finding that they were both much nicer in the morning after good sex that they'd decided to try dating.

"How did you react to the news?" another reporter asks. "It must have come as a surprise since you hadn't been dating for very long at the time."

"It was a bit of a shock at first but I got over it quickly to be there for my partner in his time of need." Yet another lie.

What really happened was that Merlin turned up at his door one evening, furious, with a positive pregnancy test in his hand and told him the news. Arthur slammed the door in his face in shock. Two weeks later, he realised just how much he wanted this baby and Merlin in his life and grovelled. Merlin gave in quickly but it was all a ploy to get Arthur to do all the work around the house since Merlin was too ill at first to do anything. Arthur can't even say he minded at this point.

"How do you feel about the pregnancy now?"

"I'm ecstatic, I'm over the moon! And terrified, of course."

Not a lie. Every time he thinks of the pregnancy, of his impending fatherhood, he feels almost giddy with joy but at the same time, he's scared beyond capacity for rational thought. What if something goes wrong and he loses Merlin or their daughter or both? Is he ready to be a father? Is he going to be a good father to his daughter?

He also doesn't mention the fact that it's made their sex life so much better than before. Merlin seems to spend most of the time aroused which is quite convenient for Arthur. And now that he's grown heavy with their child, he can't move around as much anymore. Before, Merlin never stayed still long, pulling, pushing, climbing when Arthur failed to give him what he wanted.

Now, he's at Arthur's mercy and Arthur takes advantage of it as often as possible. He brings him to the brink of climax before backing off and he keeps it up, running his fingers, his cock, his tongue all over Merlin's body until he's reduced to an incoherent, babbling mess with lust. Then he pushes him on his side and slowly makes love to him, wrapping one arm around his large stomach to hold him close.

In fact, he did it just last night and he's hoping Merlin will be feeling up to it tonight too. Pregnancy has made him even more attractive and Arthur can't get enough of him.

"Was Mr Emrys at the game tonight?" another interviewer asks, interrupting Arthur's thoughts.

"No, he's at home resting. He's ready to pop any day now. But I know he was watching and cheering me on from home."

Arthur can see him now, curled up on the couch, one hand slowly caressing his pregnant belly as he cheers Arthur on. Merlin used to hate football and Arthur suspects he still does, but recently, he's come around a bit. He watches most of Arthur's important games, mostly because he says that Arthur's much more attractive when he's running around in shorts and not talking.

"How is Merlin feeling? Has the pregnancy been hard on him?" the same interviewer asks before anyone else can speak.

"Well… Yes, of course. Both Merlin and the baby are healthy and happy."

Another lie. Arthur hesitates to tell the truth because the pregnancy hasn't exactly been easy on Merlin. Merlin's obviously had to deal with the 'normal' problems that come with pregnancy – swollen ankles, sore chest and nipples, feeling tired and bloated, small bladder, and so on. And the insecurity – oh the insecurity. It feels like Arthur's spent most of his pregnancy reassuring him that he's still absolutely gorgeous and irresistible. He's found that sex works much better than words, and it leaves Merlin feeling great for hours after.

But between a bout of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes (both thankfully resorbed now), Merlin felt absolutely horrible for a few weeks there. Arthur can still see him, sitting on the couch, listless, and it makes his heart clench painfully. Fortunately, it only lasted ten weeks, and Merlin has been doing much better for almost a month now.

And now, even though everything is back to normal and has been for several weeks now, Arthur still worries about Merlin. What if he comes home to find Merlin on the floor, barely conscious and breathing shallowly again? What if this time, he's too late?

But he doesn't have time to dwell on his fears as the next question is being asked.

"When's Merlin coming back to the stage? Is this the end of his career?"

"I don't know. It's not something that Merlin and I have talked about."

Actually, he does know. It's just not his secret to tell. Merlin will be back, he just can't stay away. He's going to take it easy at first, of course, a few roles here and there when Arthur can stay home to take care of their daughter. Arthur doesn't miss the way Merlin just lights up when he talks about the theatre, how invigorating it is to perform in front of people, how much he misses it. He wants to be the one that makes Merlin react like that.

"What made you decide to post that tweet tonight?"

Arthur has a brief flashback to earlier on that day, as Merlin pulled up his shirt to reveal the message. He still remembers the way he felt his heart swell with unconditional love for the two most important people in his life.

It's not as if they've kept the pregnancy secret. Gwen knows, Morgana knows, their neighbours know, and Merlin's mum knows. She found out when she paid her son a surprise visit several months ago and Merlin answered the door shirtless, revealing his small baby bump.

Other than that, neither of them have felt the need to share the good news. They wouldn't understand what they see in each other and they both knew it would lead to an uncontrollable media frenzy.

But when Merlin pulled his shirt up, it was too much for Arthur. He needed to share his joy, his pride, his love with the rest of the world. They all needed to know the amazing sacrifice Merlin is putting himself through for him.

"It just felt like the right time."

Not a lie, not entirely. Arthur's starting to regret posting the tweet. At the time, he'd just felt so happy that he hadn't thought of the consequences. Now, he's a little worried it'll be too much for Merlin.

There are times when Arthur thinks Morgana must be psychic and this must be one of them because just as Arthur starts feeling an overwhelming need to be with Merlin right that moment, Morgana takes the microphone and says: "Right, that's it for tonight."

There are times when Arthur thinks Morgana is the best.

*

On his way home, Arthur stops off at Merlin's favourite bakery to buy him a cinnamon bun (or three, given his appetite these days) and of course the baker, a woman who is probably in her forties but looks about thirty, has seen the interview. She congratulates him and tells him how happy she is for him and Merlin and even slips in a small strawberry tart – on the house – because she knows that when she was pregnant, she craved strawberries all the time and isn't Arthur just such a nice lad for thinking of his pregnant partner on the way home from the most important game of the season? If only her husband had been half as considerate.

Arthur just smiles and says thank you, deciding not to tell her that Merlin went off strawberries about three months ago, much to his disappointment, courtesy of his pregnancy. Merlin's pregnancy must be affecting him too; it wasn't so long ago that he wouldn't have hesitated to let her know that her gift was unwelcome.

By the time he actually gets home, it's almost midnight so he's surprised to see light coming from the living room.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he says.

Merlin is lounging on his sofa, his legs on the coffee table. His ankles are red and swollen and a bit shiny from where he's rubbed in his lotion. But best of all in Arthur's opinion, Merlin is naked but for his Camelot red boxers.

The light catches on the silver chain around his neck. Hanging from it is the engagement ring Arthur had presented Merlin with almost two months ago now, another thing he managed to keep from the reporters. He can still remember the way Merlin had smiled at him, pure happiness and love. And how Merlin's smile had grown when he'd pulled the chain out too, saying "you can just wear it around your neck for now, I know your fingers get a bit swollen sometimes".

The paint from earlier on, 'Daddy's no.1 Fangirl' is still there, a little smeared but still readable, and Merlin is slowly caressing his full stomach.

Despite the fatigue and the stress, Arthur can feel his cock stir. He's always found Merlin attractive – he even thought so when they were busy arguing, the way Merlin's eyes flashed with anger, the way he smirked when he threw a particularly good insult at Arthur. But pregnancy has made Merlin even more attractive in Arthur's eyes. There's something powerful about knowing that he's the one that's made Merlin's belly swell like this, that they've created a new life together, and Arthur can't get enough of him.

"Arthur! Congratulations, you were amazing!" Merlin is beaming at him and holding his hand out towards him. Arthur moves and settles down on the sofa next to Merlin.

"Thanks. I brought you some treats," he says, handing Merlin the bag with the cinnamon buns.

"You do know I've got to lose this weight after giving birth somehow, right?" Merlin admonishes him.

It's not been made public yet, but Merlin's been cast in a play that opens in about six months. It's a small role for a charity, one night only, just something to keep his career going while dedicating himself to their baby, but it will require him to wear a skin-tight leotard.

Still, he pulls one of the sticky buns out and starts eating it slowly so Arthur is fairly certain that Merlin is just complaining for the sake of complaining. Plus, Arthur's convinced that Merlin will look better in a leotard, fill it out nicely, if he's a bit heavier, a bit rounder than he was before his pregnancy.

"What's the occasion, anyway?" Merlin asks after swallowing the last mouthful and reaching into the bag to grab another bun.

"Do I need an occasion?" Arthur asks instead of answering the question.

"Wow, the conference must have been tough if it's made you nice."

"I'm always nice," Arthur counters. "I bought you new clothes when you outgrew your old ones."

"You bought me a _dress_ , Arthur," Merlin argues.

Arthur shrugs. "It was made for pregnant women."

"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not a woman."

"Oh, believe me, I had noticed."

He leans in to kiss Merlin, hoping it will turn into something that involves less clothing and more of those sweet noises Merlin makes when he's being thoroughly fucked. Merlin, however, turns his face away and takes another bite out of his bun.

"Not now, Arthur, honestly," Merlin mutters through the mouthful.

" _Mer_ lin," he whines (though he'll deny it later).

"It's your fault for bringing me food."

Arthur sighs and cuddles up to Merlin, letting one hand rest on his swollen stomach. "You could be nicer to me, I have had to face an army of blood-thirsty reporters to announce your pregnancy."

"'S your fault for getting me pregnant, you prat. Besides, I noticed you made yourself look like my knight in shining armour."

"Oh come on, Merlin, you know my father will kill me if he finds out I knocked you up less than a month after meeting you."

Merlin shoots him a withering stare. "And the part where you carefully omitted to mention that you acted like an arse when I told you?"

Arthur pulls Merlin closer. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that."

Merlin softens immediately, melting into Arthur's embrace. "I know. You don't need to keep on apologising. You're making up for that quite nicely."

They stay like that for a moment, quiet, peaceful, before Merlin adds, "Still, you couldn't have found a nicer way of putting it than 'pop'?"

Arthur laughs. "And say what exactly?"

"Oh I don't know, Arthur," Merlin sighs. "Maybe something like 'oh no, his due date is very close'? You have a brain, you should use it now and again."

"Are you ready?" Arthur asks, changing the subject.

"I don't know. I'm excited. I can't wait to see her."

"But you're worried," Arthur finishes for him. He knows the feeling only too well, he feels exactly the same. He rubs Merlin, soothing circles against the firm curve. Their daughter must be resting right now because he can barely feel her.

"Aren't you?"

"I've got you, I know we'll be just fine," Arthur replies truthfully, pressing a kiss to the top of Merlin's head.

"I guess that'll have to do then," Merlin sighs. "I mean, if you think so, then it's all going to be fine."

Arthur knows only one way to distract Merlin when he's feeling like this, all full of doubt and concern. He kisses Merlin.

"Let's go to bed," he murmurs against his lips. "It's been a long day."

*

The next morning, Arthur is rudely woken up by someone poking his side.

"Go 'way," he grumbles, trying to bury his face in the pillow as he desperately clings to his sleep.

"You need to be out of the house in two hours," comes Merlin's reply, warm and amused. How can anyone expect Arthur to get out of bed when all he wants to do is cuddle up to Merlin, all warm and comfortable, and sleep the day away? The world can wait as far as Arthur is concerned.

Arthur groans and opens his eyes a crack when Merlin doesn't let up on the poking. Merlin is sitting propped up against the mound of pillows that seems to have grown every time Arthur looks, still as naked as the night before, the sheets pulled up to his hips to cover his modesty, or maybe his legs are cold. Arthur isn't really up to figuring that one out. The paint on his belly is gone – Arthur wiped it off gently while Merlin struggled to keep his eyes open last night.

"You look tired," Arthur says, full of concern as he takes in the dark circles that line Merlin's bloodshot eyes. "Go back to sleep."

"Can't sleep – heartburn."

Arthur shrugs a bit helplessly. It isn't the first time this has happened and there's nothing to be done. Arthur can't magic it away because he has no magic, Merlin can't magic it away because there are some things you just can't do with magic, and he's not allowed any of the medicine that actually works because it may hurt their daughter.

"Well you shouldn't have eaten all those cinnamon buns before bed now, should you?"

He doesn't even need to look at Merlin to know he's glaring at him. "I was starving and it's your fault for bringing them home anyway. You know I can't resist them."

" _My_ fault," Arthur starts before Merlin interrupts him. "Well, I certainly didn't get pregnant on my own."

Arthur sighs. It's just one of these fights he's not going to win because Merlin's in one of his moods. "Whatever, I'm going back to sleep," he grumbles, tugging the sheets a bit.

"Oh no you don't," Merlin says, poking him again. "I'm going to empty my bladder _again_ , and when I come back, you'd better be up."

"Fine, whatever," Arthur grumbles, settling back into the sheets as Merlin waddles off to the bathroom. It's no use though, he quickly realises with a sigh. He can't go back to sleep. Bloody Merlin and his bloody early morning arguments.

He's just about to get out of bed when Merlin storms back into the room – or tries to as much as his pregnant body will let him, bless him. He lowers himself onto the bed with a grunt and wiggles around until he's finally lying on his side, facing away from Arthur.

Arthur can feel the tension radiating from him. Honestly, he was only gone two minutes, Arthur has no idea what's caused this moodswing.

He reaches out and rests his hand on Merlin's upper arm, rubbing it gently. "Hey," he says softly. "What's all this now? You were only gone a minute."

Merlin sighs unhappily and mumbles something that Arthur can't quite make out.

"What did you say? I didn't get that."

"I said," Merlin repeats louder this time, sounding tired and upset and frustrated. "I'm fucking huge, Arthur, how the fuck am I ever going to lose all this weight?"

It's an argument they've had many times in the months since Merlin started showing. If Merlin isn't worried about his weight, then he's worried that he won't be a good father or he's worried that people will judge him for getting pregnant young.

It's been a while since the last one since Merlin's been pretty content recently, but Arthur's pretty sure he can still handle this. He's learnt over the months. The first time Merlin had a really bad moodswing, he made things worse by agreeing that he was looking a bit fat. It was that awkward period in the pregnancy where he looked more like he was getting fat than pregnant. Honestly, how was he supposed to know Merlin wasn’t asking him to tell the truth? He still remembers Merlin bawling his eyes out while using his magic to whack Arthur over the head with his pillow. He still remembers Merlin's apology, later that night, with Merlin on his knees between Arthur's thighs and letting him come on his face. Merlin certainly knows how to apologise.

It's all about patience. No matter how annoyed or how frustrated Arthur may be, he needs to remember that it's all about Merlin now. Hormones, stress and exhaustion are all working in tandem to wreak havoc on Merlin’s ability to cope. Honestly, what's a bit of patience when Merlin's been carrying his baby for nine months?

"Merlin," he murmurs before pressing a kiss to his shoulder blade. "Don't be ridiculous, you're not fat."

"Don't lie," Merlin grumbles.

"I'm not, you silly man," Arthur continues, moving his hand to Merlin's belly. "This isn't fat," he says, rubbing gentle circles into the warm, taut skin. "You're pregnant. Most of this will go away on its own."

"Right, that's exactly what happened to our ex-neighbour," Merlin snorts derisively.

Merlin does have a point there, not that Arthur will acknowledge it. Merlin’s neighbour, now Arthur’s neighbour too, had a child about two years ago and never really lost the weight she’d gained during the pregnancy.

Arthur sincerely doubts Merlin will have the same problem, mostly because the man cannot gain weight to save his life. Early on in the pregnancy, he was actually losing weight, much to Arthur’s concern.

" _Mer_ lin," Arthur sighs. "Just trust me, ok?"

"But what if it doesn't go away?" Merlin asks quietly, sounding on the verge of tears. "What if I can't lose any of it? You'll leave me ‘cause I'm fat and I'll never get a role again and I'll be a single, unemployed father because I'm fat."

"Don't be ridiculous, Merlin, you know I wouldn't. And you're a fucking brilliant actor, people would still give you roles if you were just a brain in a jar. Besides, you couldn't even put on weight if your life depended on it. Remember how Gaius kept on harping about how you needed to eat more because you weren't putting on enough weight early on? Even though you were eating more than enough for two. You'll probably lose it all in a few months, long before rehearsals even start."

"But what if I don't?" Merlin insists.

Arthur sighs. "It won't change a thing, you know it won't, silly. You being fat won't change who you are and I certainly won't find you any less attractive. You're always attractive to me, Merlin."

Merlin turns his head, trying to catch Arthur's eye. "Really?" he asks, a shy smile on his lips.

Arthur allows himself a quiet sigh of relief that he's managed to overcome this moodswing. "Yes, really. Honestly, _Mer_ lin, have a bit more faith in me, alright? Now come here," he says, pulling Merlin closer so that Merlin's back is pressed up close against his chest. "Let me show you how handsome I think you are," he murmurs before pressing kisses to the point where Merlin's neck and shoulder meet and Merlin lets out an undignified giggle that makes Arthur warm with love and affection.

“Oh god, Arthur,” Merlin laughs. “Your pick-up lines are awful.”

Arthur chooses to ignore him. His hand slowly slides down Merlin's belly to his cock in a slow caress.

"Arthur," Merlin moans. "You've got work this morning."

"Don't care," Arthur murmurs, squeezing Merlin's cock gently and feeling it twitch in response. "I can't resist you, Merlin."

"Yeah?" Merlin says, pushing back so that his arse rubs against Arthur's cock.

Arthur groans. His cock is already so hard and leaking. Getting Merlin pregnant is the best thing that's ever happened to him. As much as he’s anticipating the birth of their daughter, Arthur knows he’s going to miss seeing Merlin like this, all big and round and glowing, full of life.

"I think about you all the time," he moans, not even caring that he's revealing too much. "You're so fucking gorgeous, Merlin."

Merlin laughs again, lower, more intimate. "Do you now?" he asks playfully.

Arthur teases his cock with his thumb, gentle, not-enough caresses that make Merlin squirm deliciously in his arms. "Course I do, idiot," he replies, nipping at the warm skin of his shoulder.

"Like you're any better, clotpole."

Merlin is still far too articulate for Arthur's taste so he rubs his thumb over his slit, already so wet with pre-come.

"I want to suck you," he murmurs against the shell of Merlin's ear, squeezing his cock gently. He can feel Merlin shiver with pleasure against him and he can hear the quiet moan Merlin's trying to bite back. "Come on, sweetheart," he continues, using the endearment that Merlin pretends to hate. "On your back for me, I want you to come in my mouth."

He helps him roll over so that he's on his back, his legs spread wide. He's a fucking _mess_ , flushed with pleasure and damp with sweat, and it's not even been two minutes.

It's not easy finding a position to suck Merlin when his belly is this big and round, but Arthur _needs_ Merlin's cock in his mouth. He eventually settles, lying on one side and propped up on one elbow with one of Merlin's warm thighs resting over his legs, and licks the tip of his hard cock.

"Don't tease," Merlin moans. "Thought you wanted to suck me."

"Don't be impatient," Arthur teases, his voice low and smooth with arousal.

He leans in closer and takes Merlin in his mouth, wrapping his hand around the base. He has to take a moment to steady himself. It's almost too much – Merlin's full stomach, his hard cock and his warm smell, he's all surrounded with it and it's fucking brilliant.

He closes his lips around his cock and sucks. He can feel Merlin writhing beneath him, desperately trying to arch off the bed but too heavy to do so.

"Fuck, Arthur," Merlin whines as Arthur uses his tongue to tease him, little licks that are too much yet not enough at the same time. He wants to prolong this moment forever, lost in the warm cocoon of Merlin's body.

Merlin, however, has other plans. "Arthur, you bastard, get on with it," he whines, tangling his fingers in Arthur's hair and pulling hard.

Arthur hisses with pain and it's only when he wraps his lips around the head of his cock again and sucks that Merlin relents, his fingers gentle, tender against Arthur's scalp. "That's it, Arthur," he moans encouragingly as Arthur sucks his cock with abandon. "Feels so good."

It doesn't take long before Merlin's coming down his throat. Arthur swallows it all greedily. He's so hard now that it isn't going to take much to get him off.

He kneels on the bed to get a better look at Merlin. He's completely boneless with pleasure, slumped against the mattress. Merlin looks up at him through half-lidded eyes and shoots him a mischievous grin.

"Want you to come on my belly," he moans, rubbing his bump with one hand. And _fuck_ , that's the hottest thing Arthur's ever heard. He didn't think he could get any harder but Merlin's indecent words go straight to his cock.

"Come on," Merlin continues, completely shameless and still rubbing the taut skin covered in stretch marks. "I know you want to. I know you have a thing for it, all full with your baby."

Arthur bites his lower lip hard. It's taking all his strength not to come from Merlin's words and the cheeky bugger knows it – there's a glimmer of playfulness in his eyes as he teases Arthur.

"Go on," Merlin moans. His other hand is playing with one of his small breasts, fondling it, squeezing it so that a drop of milk beads from his nipple. "Mark me, make me yours."

Arthur inhales sharply as Merlin runs his middle finger over his protruding navel, stroking it, teasing it.

"Fuck," he gasps as Merlin rubs his finger over his wet nipple before bringing it to his mouth, making a show of sucking it noisily. "The things you do to me, Merlin. You're fucking impossible."

Merlin licks his finger and trails it over his round belly, leaving a wet, shiny trail in its wake. “Look at what you did to me,” he moans, his voice low and dangerous. Fuck, Arthur’s not going to last if Merlin’s going to play dirty. “Look at how big my belly is. Look at it,” Merlin continues, stroking his belly with one hand while the other fondles his small breasts. “So full with your baby, Arthur. So heavy.”

Arthur wraps his hand around his cock and strokes it once, twice, and he's coming all over Merlin's full stomach, covering his small button of a navel.

Merlin looks beautiful like this – claimed, owned. Once he's caught his breath, Arthur lies down next to him and pulls him close. He lets one of his hands rest on Merlin's bump, stroking it reverently, smearing his come over the taut skin. He can never get enough of it.

Of course, Merlin has to go and ruin the moment. "You're such a perv," he laughs, rubbing his stomach. "Getting off on me like that."

Arthur pinches one of his nipples gently in retaliation, making Merlin yelp – they're so sensitive these days, Merlin can't stand the slightest touch to them. "You're the one who was begging for it."

"Like it doesn't turn you on that I'm pregnant," Merlin teases knowingly.

"Shut up, Merlin."

*

Once they've cleaned up a bit, Arthur spends the morning in bed, spooning with Merlin as they both drift in and out of sleep. Every once in a while, his phone vibrates – no doubt his father, wondering why he isn't in yet.

"Shouldn't you pick up?" Merlin asks drowsily. "It could be important."

"It's just my father," Arthur says casually, not looking at his phone as he pulls Merlin even closer. He's so warm and pliant, Arthur doesn't ever want to let him go. "It can wait."

Nothing's more important to him than these moments, these little moments where everything seems too perfect to be true. All his fears and worries fade away leaving him calm and relaxed. He doesn't say it out loud though, Merlin would tease him mercilessly.

It's not as if he's missing much anyway, just his father telling the team how disappointed he is even though they won, how they could have scored more goals, how they shouldn’t have let the other team take the ball when they did, how Arthur should have tried harder since he’s the captain of the team.

Arthur's also putting off the moment where he has to deal with his father and his lecture about the tweet, about his behaviour. If it weren't for Merlin's gender and the fact that he has magic (a fact made obvious by his pregnancy), Uther wouldn't have had very much to say at all, maybe just a word about the fact that they should (read must) get married before the baby is born. There are few things more scandalous that having a child out of wedlock, according to Uther and his antiquated worldview. The fact that Arthur managed to do even worse without even trying is not something that Uther is likely to forget in a hurry.

In a sense, it’s a good thing that the story leaked to the press first. Now his father is going to feel pressured to play ‘nice’ with Merlin. From experience, Arthur knows that his father probably would have tried to get Merlin to leave him with some sort of bribe (usually financial) or blackmail (sometimes forged). Or, if he’d found out early enough into the pregnancy, made sure that Merlin had an abortion.

But now that the press knows that Merlin’s pregnant and that they’re in a committed relationship, there’s not much Uther can do without incurring speculation from the media. After all, couples don’t just go from happy and committed to separate and embroiled in a bitter dispute over custody of their child, especially not when one of them is related to Uther Pendragon.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Merlin murmurs.

“Ahah! So you admit that I am capable of thinking,” Arthur jokes, chasing the dark thoughts from his mind.

Merlin rolls his eyes. “Prat.”

“Yes but you love me,” Arthur croons. It’s one of these moments, one that Arthur will cherish for a long time, where everything seems so hopeful and happy and where the reality of life has no impact.

Merlin just shakes his head and snuggles back down into Arthur’s arms. “Yes, yes,” he says condescendingly. “If you say so.”

They’re quiet for a moment before Merlin speaks up again.

“I never said that your thoughts were anything complicated though.”

“Merlin!”

*

When Merlin's stomach starts rumbling around midday, Arthur finally stumbles out of bed to get him some lunch, leaving Merlin in bed to watch TV. Pregnancy has made Merlin extra sensitive to most smells, the slightest odour making him nauseous if not downright sick at times. That doesn't stop him from craving foods that will set him off when raw, so it's up to Arthur to prepare his disgusting sandwiches even at three in the morning.

This time, Merlin wants bacon, egg, pickles, sweet chili sauce and marmite in his sandwich – hardly the most disgusting craving he's ever had, but far from the most normal. With that, he wants a side of coleslaw. And he wants a hot chocolate with whipped cream, claiming it'll soothe the heartburn.

_"Maybe if you didn't eat these disgusting concoctions, you wouldn't get heartburn," Arthur says unhelpfully._

_He barely manages to dodge out of the room before Merlin's pillow hits him._

When Arthur's done making lunch, he puts their plates on a tray with Merlin's hot chocolate and his glass of water and makes his way to the bedroom.

Merlin's still in bed, rubbing lotion into his angry-red, swollen ankles as he watches the news. Arthur puts the tray between them, gets back into bed and hands Merlin his plate.

Arthur's barely even taken a bite out of his own sandwich – a plain, non-disgusting BLT, thank you very much – when the announcers change the story.

"A mystery solved," the young reporter on screen says. "The tumultuous love life of the captain of the Camelot football team, notorious playboy Arthur Pendragon, twenty-seven, has long made the front pages. But for the last few months, he has been off our radar for reasons that were not made clear to us. Some thought his father, Uther Pendragon, owner of the Camelot team, had forbidden him from having an active social life. Others thought that it was due to STDs, sexually transmitted diseases. Yesterday, the truth was finally revealed as to why it seemed that Mr Pendragon had been going through a prolonged dry spell thanks to a tweet posted by Mr Pendragon himself yesterday before the match."

Arthur's tweet briefly appears, along with the picture of Merlin, before the screen cut to a clip of yesterday's interview.

_"Mr Pendragon, can you confirm that Merlin Emrys is indeed pregnant?"_

_"I can definitely confirm that he's pregnant."_

At the time, Arthur didn't notice, but he's smiling softly and absolutely beaming with pride as he talks about Merlin.

"Merlin Emrys," the reporter continues, "the famous stage actor who made his professional debut with an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Tempest, in the role of Ariel two years ago at the age of eighteen. Since then, he has worked relentlessly, with several successful plays to his name. Six months ago, he suddenly announced that he was going on hiatus for 'family reasons', much to the disappointment of his fervent admirers. He is the reason Mr Pendragon's love life has stopped making the news. Last night, the world was shocked to discover that Mr Emrys was heavily pregnant with Mr Pendragon's child, and Mr Pendragon himself has confirmed that Mr Emrys is just days from giving birth."

The screen once again cuts to the interview, the interviewer's question written "Was Mr Emrys at the game tonight?") at the bottom of the screen.

_"No, he's at home resting. He's ready to pop any day now."_

Merlin glares at him and elbows him in the ribs. There's a bit of sauce on his cheek and it makes him even less intimidating than usual. "You just had to say that. They're never going to forget it."

"Oh come on, Merlin. It's not that bad."

"It makes me sound fat."

Arthur just rolls his eyes. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"And you have a limited vocabulary."

Arthur shoots him the sweetest smile he can muster. "But you still love me, don't you?"

Merlin rolls his eyes and grumbles something into his sandwich that would probably be very insulting if Arthur could hear it.

Fortunately for them, there's an update to one of the day's news items and they switch over to breaking news.

*

After lunch, Merlin gets ready for his doctor's appointment. He's so close to giving birth and given the troubles he encountered earlier in the pregnancy, he has to go in every week to be checked. So far, so good, he's as healthy as can be and so is the baby.

Arthur watches him from the bed as he stretches. Before Merlin, he'd only had the vaguest of ideas of what pregnancy did to a person's body. He loves the way Merlin's bump sticks out from his slender body, starting all the way down near his pelvis. He never thought it went that far down.

Merlin's belly is a thing of beauty, a large, firm curve where his abdomen was once flat. It's covered in stretch marks, some old and faded, some new and dark against his pale skin. Merlin hates them. Arthur adores them, worships them with his fingers and his tongue. They're lasting proof of the sacrifices Merlin made to carry his baby, how his body has grown and changed. And then, there's his navel that popped out two months ago. Arthur can't get enough of it.

If he looks further up, he can see the small, swollen breasts that started growing when Merlin entered his third month of pregnancy. They're full and painfully heavy with milk for their daughter. Some nights, when Merlin can't sleep because they burn with pain, Arthur will spend ages, leaning over him and sucking the sweet milk from Merlin's tits until they're empty and the ache has eased. Some nights, Arthur feeds from them even though Merlin's in no pain, his hand resting on Merlin's full stomach.

"Arthur, I'm going to be late to my appointment if you don't get ready now," comes Merlin's annoyed voice, slicing through his thoughts.

"It's fine, Gaius is always late," he retorts. He's a doctor after all, doctors are always behind on appointments.

"Well _I_ don't want to be late, it's too hot and I'm too heavy to be running around."

*

Arthur drives Merlin to the surgery. They get there almost half an hour early despite Merlin's worries.

"See, told you we'd be fine," he says, turning to look at Merlin.

Merlin's lounging back in the seat, his hands cupping his full stomach. No matter what Merlin does these days, no matter how casual and innocent, Arthur finds it adorable. Merlin shrugs at Arthur's words. Arthur smiles at him.

"Come on, let's go for a walk," he offers. "It'll do you good."

Merlin doesn't look particularly impressed, but he doesn't say anything and lets Arthur help him out of the car.

As they walk down the street, Arthur's arm around Merlin's shoulders, holding him close, he notices people turning to stare at them and he can hear them whispering Merlin's name.

He's not really surprised that people didn't recognise Merlin before the news broke. After all, he's quite different now, all big and round with child, always in loose shirts and overalls, waddling because of the sheer weight of his pregnant belly. He's impossible to recognise if you're looking for the slender man in tight, fashionable clothes and cheap sunglasses who walks at a brisk pace. Now they know what to look for, they know that the man cuddled up to Arthur's side is indeed Merlin Emrys, theatre genius and soon-to-be father.

Arthur wants them to look. He wants them to see the beautiful man by his side, pregnant with his child. Merlin is _his_ and he wants the world to know. He wants them to look on and weep, he wants people to be jealous of him for having such an amazing fiancé (or they would if they knew they were engaged), for being so happy and in love. He wants them to look at Merlin, see how big and round he's become, and despair when they realise that he's taken.

They're drawing a lot of attention now. People have recognised them and are (not so) discreetly taking pictures and whispering. Merlin is tense beside him, probably imagining that they're all judging him harshly. He pulls Merlin closer and kisses the side of his head.

"You're fucking amazing, Merlin," he whispers fiercely. "Don't you dare think otherwise."

Merlin tsks and rolls his eyes. "I wasn't thinking otherwise, I was thinking that you're a bloody show-off."

"You're _mine_ , Merlin. I want the whole world to know."

Merlin smirks but he can't quite conceal the warm happiness in his eyes. "Prat."

Arthur drops Merlin off at the surgery five minutes before his appointment. He wants nothing more than to stay with Merlin even though it's a routine check-up, but Merlin is right when he points out that his father is going to kill him.

"I don't want to be a single father," Merlin says. "I'm far too young for that."

He kisses Merlin one last time before leaving, trying to delay the moment he has to go. Merlin sees right through it though and smiles into the kiss.

"You need to go," he says, pushing at Arthur's chest. "I'll be fine."

"You'll call me if there's anything, right?"

Merlin rolls his eyes, amused more than annoyed. "Nothing's going to be wrong. Gaius says I'm going to give birth to the healthiest girl in England. You should know, you came to the last appointment."

"But you'll call me."

"Yes, Arthur," Merlin huffs. "I'll call you if it's urgent. Now get your arse to work before your father sends his men to look for you. I don't fancy making a scene here. I'll see you tonight."

Arthur doesn't get home until late that night. The moment he arrived at work, he was taken straight to his father's office where he was subjected to hours and hours of his father lecturing him about everything he can think of. Then his father sent him to run laps. "Until you drop," he said.

It was definitely worth it though, Arthur thinks with a fond smile. Thinking of Merlin is what gets him through his laps until Morgana comes to let him go home.

*

The next few days are a frenzy as Arthur does interview after interview, all about Merlin's pregnancy and his upcoming fatherhood. Arthur's almost certain that his father accepted every interview thrown their way to punish him for his behaviour the other day.

"Not one of them cares about me scoring the winning goal," he complains to Morgana as they're driven to his next interview. "It's all Merlin this, Merlin that, nothing about winning the game! It's only the bloody Championship. They probably wouldn't even care if I won the World Cup!"

Morgana isn't sympathetic at all. "That may be because being pregnant is much tougher than kicking a ball around a field in shorts," is all she has to offer. Arthur keeps his complains to himself after that. There's no point in wasting a good moan on people who don't understand.

Pictures of Merlin from the day of his appointment make it to the press. Some use them to illustrate their warm articles in which they congratulate Merlin on the upcoming birth. It really isn't fair, Arthur thinks. Why does Merlin get all the positive attention and well-wishes? He won the bloody game the other night and so far, not even the sports news has focused on it much. It's all Merlin, Merlin, Merlin.

Arthur stops sulking the day the rags start publishing their rubbish.

_"How young is too young? Merlin Emrys – pregnant at 20"_

_"Twins for Emrys? Our expert thinks that Merlin is far too big for a single pregnancy."_

_"The mystery father… Why our experts think that Uther Pendragon is the real father of Merlin's baby."_

_"Merlin – pregnant or just fat?"_

"You know they're just printing this for the shock factor," Arthur murmurs soothingly. He holds Merlin close as he cries, mostly from hormones and anger, while the rags catch fire and burn all on their own. "And you know their experts are bored housewives or conspiracy theorists with nothing better to do."

It doesn't stop Arthur from releasing a statement to denounce the articles. He knows Merlin could have done that himself, maybe even agreed to a few interviews to set things straight. They even got into a fight about it, with Merlin telling him he was perfectly capable of defending himself and that Arthur was just a prat and a control freak. He relents eventually when Gaius tells him that his blood pressure is up due to stress at his next check-up. It's nothing bad, really, certainly not life-threatening, but Arthur asks Merlin to let him handle things for him until he's given birth.

"I know you can manage on your own, Merlin," he says, looking Merlin in the eye, holding Merlin’s hands to his chest. "I just want to take care of you."

Merlin sighs at that, all the fight draining from his body, and his eyes go soft and fond. "I don't want to be a burden. I'm just pregnant, I can still do things, you know?"

Arthur bites his tongue to keep himself from reminding Merlin of all the health problems he had earlier on in the pregnancy, how at one point, he'd been so sure that neither Merlin nor their child would make it. He doesn't need to tell Merlin that. Merlin knows, of course he does since he was the one going through it. He's healthy now and so is their daughter, there's no need to focus on the past, he says.

Instead, Arthur says "You're my fiancé, Merlin", like that explains everything.

And it does.

So Arthur releases a statement the very next day. Against his better judgement, he keeps his words neutral to avoid getting into a battle with so-called journalists who will stop at nothing, whether their facts are right or not. He even lets a more reputable newspaper interview Gaius about Merlin's pregnancy to set the records straight.

On top of that, training doesn't stop because they've won the Championship. His father makes sure to confiscate his mobile and his tablet every morning before they start, so that Arthur focuses on the session rather than on Merlin.

It's far from a success. Arthur has so much to keep his mind busy these days. He wonders what their daughter will look like. Will she look more like him or Merlin? Will she have magic? Will she be smart like Merlin or will she like football like him? As soon as she's old enough, he's going to teach her football, a sort of father/daughter bonding thing. He really, _really_ hopes she'll like football because he really wants to share this aspect of his life with her.

Arthur ends up running a lot of laps because he's always distracted. It's become a bit of a running joke between his teammates. They tease him fondly and Arthur lets them because, at the end of the day, they're all happy for him and just as excited about the birth of his baby girl.

*

It's been two weeks since the announcement and the media has just started to calm down and move onto another subject. Arthur's in the middle of running laps around the field when Gwaine comes up to him and hands him something.

"What's this?" he asks before even looking at the object.

"Your phone," Gwaine says like it's obvious. "Merlin's been trying to call you for the last five hours apparently. He gave up and called Morgana instead who then went to nick your mobile from your dad's office. You owe her, she says by the way. I checked your messages. Apparently Merlin's in labour."

Arthur doesn't even stop to process the information or to ask why Gwaine knows his PIN. He runs straight to the changing room and tears off his clothes. His legs are shaking, his heart is beating like it's trying to break free, and he feels like he's going to be sick with worry.

_"Oh my god, Merlin's in labour! My fiancé's going to give birth! I'm about to be a father!"_ is all he can think, an incessant refrain in his mind as he runs as fast as he can.

He doesn't know how he feels. He's over the moon at the thought of finally meeting their daughter, but he's scared, so fucking _terrified_. He's not ready for this, neither of them are. It's too much responsibility for them – their baby girl is going to depend on them completely, what if he messes up? And what if there are complications with the birth? What if he loses Merlin or his daughter or both? He can't bear the thought of losing either of them, they're both so important to him.

He jumps into the shower, in too much of a hurry to notice the cold as the water hits his skin. He needs to get to the hospital, he doesn't want to miss the birth of the daughter and he needs to be there for Merlin. He also knows that if he doesn't shower, Merlin will have him kicked out because he can't stand the smell.

Fortunately, the roads are clear so Arthur reaches the hospital in next to no time. He barely even remembers to lock the car before running to the lobby.

"Took you long enough."

Merlin greets him with a glare. He's wearing a hospital gown, distended over his large belly, and he looks ready to murder someone, probably Arthur actually.

"Sorry, I got here as soon as I could."

"I'm sure you did," Merlin snaps bitingly. "After all, what's five hours in a man's life? Nothing. I mean, I only could have _given birth_ in the time it took you to get here."

"But you didn't. See, it's not a problem," Arthur says. Merlin's glare just intensifies.

"I've been calling you _all day_ , Arthur. I'm scared and I'm in fucking pain, I shouldn't have to deal with making sure you get to the hospital in time for the birth of our daughter." He pauses mid-rant as a contraction hits, rubbing his bump to help with the pain. "She didn't get in here all on her own, you know," he continues, still caressing his stomach.

"I'm sorry," Arthur says sheepishly. "But you know my father takes my phone in the morning."

"Not my problem now, is it? You didn't even leave me another number to call. What if I'd gone into labour prematurely?

"You didn't though, everything's fine, Merlin. Just calm down."

He regrets those words the moment they're out of his mouth. From the corner of his eye, he sees Gwen wince and shake her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're right," Merlin sneers. If looks could kill, Arthur thinks. "Let me just calm down while waiting to give birth to my daughter."

"Merlin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean –"

"Just shut up, Arthur."

Arthur sighs. "Don't be like that, Merlin. I'm sorry, alright? I know you're scared and in pain and I'm sorry. I came as soon as Gwaine told me."

"Remind me to thank Gwaine later," Merlin mutters beneath his breath. He sighs and runs his hand through his dark, messy hair. "I'm sorry too," he adds louder. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

Arthur smiles and leans in to kiss the top of his head. "Don't worry about it. I think you're allowed to be emotional while you're in labour."

"Thanks," Merlin says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "So very generous of you."

Gwen and Lancelot are sitting quietly by his bed, pretending to mind their own business in hopes that Merlin won't snap at them too. As upset as Arthur is about not being there for Merlin when he most needed him, Gwen and Lance are probably the two best people to be around in times of emergency, barring Merlin's mum.

Merlin met them when he was looking into figure skating for a potential role in a TV drama. Until then, he'd had no idea that two famous ex-pro skaters lived just down the street from him. He didn't get the role, but he did end up with a strong, lasting friendship.

At first, Arthur was jealous of how well they got along. Back then, even though they'd agreed to give their relationship another try for the sake of their baby, Arthur often felt that Merlin was merely tolerating him because he was too tired to do his chores. He'd begrudged their easy friendship even as Merlin slept curled up next to him, one arm warm and heavy on his chest.

Everything changed when Merlin fell ill.

Arthur can't thank them enough for being there when Merlin was at his worst during the pregnancy. Even if his father had known then, he wouldn't have been able to take time off during the Championship to take care of his partner. Gwen and Lance would stop by every day and stay with Merlin, keep him company and make sure he didn't get worse, until Arthur got home, even spending the night when Arthur was away for several days.

"How long till you give birth then?" Arthur asks, sitting on the bed, next to Merlin.

Merlin shrugs. "I'm having contractions once every thirty minutes, probably an hour or two the midwife said last time she checked. Which you would have known if you'd actually been here, you prat."

Arthur just smiles and lets Merlin rant. It's so reassuringly normal that Arthur can forget about his worries for the time being.

*

Sixteen hours later, Merlin's finally dilated enough to start pushing. Arthur's by his side, holding his trembling hand tight and encouraging him. He's a mess, sweaty and red in the face from the effort, his cheeks are wet with tears and he looks absolutely exhausted, his skin sallow in the harsh neon light. Arthur can't blame him, he's been in labour for over twenty-one hours now.

"You're doing great, sweetheart," he says, squeezing Merlin's hand as he grunts with pain.

He feels completely helpless, out of his depth. He wishes there was something he could do to make it easier for Merlin, to make the pain go away, but he can't. All his encouragements sound like platitudes to him. He looks so young too, so vulnerable. He feels like he's never focused on their age difference until today. God, Merlin should be out living his life right now.

He's impressed too. Here's Merlin, barely twenty years old, lying in hospital, grunting with pain as he struggles to give birth to their baby. He seems so far away, like adults felt when he was a child. Even though he's almost ten years older than Merlin, he feels so immature, so unprepared for all this. How did Merlin manage for all those months without letting the weight of their new responsibility crush him?

"Don't you 'sweetheart' me, you prat," Merlin snaps weakly, breathlessly. "It fucking hurts and it's all your fault."

There's not much Arthur can respond to that. After all, it is his fault that Merlin's pregnant.

He leans in and kisses Merlin's sweaty forehead. "I know, it's all my fault. You're almost there. Think of our baby daughter, Merlin. Soon you'll be able to hold her in your arms."

Merlin lets out a pained moan as he pushes again. "I'm never doing this again, Arthur. _Never_ , do you hear me? It hurts so much."

"That's it, Merlin," the midwife says gently before Arthur can say anything to comfort his fiancé. "You're doing well. I can see the head now."

"Oh god, how much longer is this going to take?" Merlin moans. "Why isn't it over already?"

"Not much longer, darling," Arthur says, kissing his forehead again before brushing his wet hair off his sweaty forehead.

Merlin pushes again, eyes screwed shut and straining, and the midwife is shouting that that's the head, one more push, Merlin, one more and you're done. Arthur is holding onto Merlin's hand for dear life, barely registering the pain as Merlin squeezes it with all his might. She's almost here, he thinks, his mind blank with panic. A few more seconds and she'll be born.

Merlin pushes again with a loud cry before going limp against the bed and there's a bustle of activity around the midwife. Arthur just sits there, unable to feel anything, not joy, not excitement, not relief. Not even pain from Merlin squeezing his hand.

There's a sharp cry from the other edge of the room and then the midwife is handing him a tiny little bundle of blankets. Arthur blinks, and suddenly his daughter is in his arms, looking up at him like he's her whole world.

Everything fades away then, and Arthur is so overwhelmed with happiness that his eyes start watering. She’s so warm, and heavy, and… _real_. She’s finally here, in his arms, and she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

"Hello, baby," he murmurs.

He turns to face his fiancé. Merlin is looking at him, exhausted, in pain, but so completely in love. It's the most perfect moment in Arthur's life, one he's going to remember forever.

"She's perfect, Merlin," he murmurs, unable to speak any louder. "Look at her, she's so tiny."

Merlin smiles and reaches out with a trembling hand to stroke her precious little head for a moment before it falls limp to his side. "She's beautiful," he says, his voice quiet and hoarse from shouting. "I wish I could hold her. I don't think I could manage just now though."

Merlin looks so sad and forlorn at that very moment and Arthur can't bear it. He puts their baby down in the plastic cot by Merlin's bed, even though every fibre of his being is screaming at him to not let her go. He then sits Merlin up slightly, ignoring his weak moans of pain, and sits down behind him, his legs on either side of Merlin, cradling him.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asks quietly.

Arthur doesn't answer. Instead, he carefully picks their daughter up from the cot and puts her in front of Merlin.

"We'll hold her together," he says.

Whether it's the hormones, the stress or the fatigue, Arthur doesn't know, but he pretends not to notice how Merlin's body is shaking with silent tears as they hold their daughter, enjoying her first few moments in the world together.

*

The interviews don't die down after Merlin's given birth. In fact, they seem to multiply. He's even got publications from far-away countries begging for exclusive interviews. They all want to know how Merlin and their daughter are doing, but don't want to bother either. Arthur's given up caring. He's so happy that he'll share with anyone who asks (and even anyone who doesn't, as his teammates quickly learn).

The first few days were nerve-wracking in their own right, with both Merlin and Arthur on edge as they waited to see if a sneaky pap had made its way to the hospital and caught them at their most vulnerable.

A few pictures surface almost a week later. Nothing bad – pictures of Lancelot helping Merlin from the car and Gwen carrying his overnight bag, pictures of Arthur parking his car any old way and running to the hospital. There's even a picture of Arthur making a face as he sips the awful, lukewarm coffee from the machine while the midwife checks how far Merlin's dilated (Arthur remembers that moment well, if only because when he came back in, Merlin was _pissed_ that he was only three centimetres after eight hours). But to their relief, there are no pictures of Merlin in hospital or, worse, giving birth.

But at least Uther has given up punishing him, his gift to the new parents, as he likes to put it. He's on paternity leave now and as long as he does his interviews, Uther leaves him alone. Fortunately, interviews are something Arthur can do from home.

The first few days after the birth are tough, especially for Merlin. After all, the pain doesn't stop just because he's given birth and is back home. He spends a lot of time in bed as he recovers.

Fortunately, Merlin's mum is there to help him take care of Erin, their daughter. He quickly learns how to change her nappies, how to hold her, how to swaddle her, a million and one little things that aren't as obvious as they would appear to the casual observer.

They're both starting to get the hang of it now. It's not easy, and it's not relaxing, but they must be doing ok at parenting because their baby girl is absolutely thriving. And really, that's all they could ask for as parents.

*

The first glimpse the public gets of Erin comes a few days after she turns three months old. They're out of nappies and Merlin's completely exhausted and feeling miserable. It's also his birthday, and no one should feel miserable on their birthday, so Arthur puts Erin in her pram and goes to the store down the road. While he's at it, he figures he might as well get a few groceries to tide them through the weekend. Maybe even a surprise for Merlin. He's already given him his presents and he's already got a cake, but Merlin's given him the most precious gift he could ever give Arthur, so what's one surprise more? Arthur is going to spoil Merlin rotten if it kills him.

He's almost done when he accidentally bumps the pram against the shelf. It's a tiny bump, Arthur wouldn't even have noticed it, but it sets Erin right off.

Arthur doesn't even notice the crowd forming around them, phones snapping picture after picture of his predicament. He picks his daughter up and holds her close, hoping that this tantrum won't last too long.

"Hey there, it's okay, Erin," he murmurs desperately. "I'm right here, it's okay. Please don't cry, please."

The first unofficial pictures of Erin show her in her helpless, exhausted father's arms, red in the face from crying, and wearing one of the many tiny onesie replicas of Arthur's jersey that Merlin's mum made for her.

*

Merlin gives his first interview four months after giving birth.

Arthur was supposed to drive him there and back, but Merlin leaves without waking him up that morning, letting him sleep in peace. He feels a bit guilty, but he did need those extra hours. Erin's developed a fondness for waking them up in the middle of the night. Sometimes, her nappy needs changing and sometimes she's hungry, but most times, it seems like she just wants company.

The interview is published the following month. Arthur has no idea what they talked about, but he does know that Merlin's particularly proud of the photo shoot.

The magazine is easy to find – it's the only one in the shop with Merlin and Erin on the cover. The moment he sees it, his heart skips a beat. The cover shows Merlin smiling softly, cradling their baby, looking down at her with eyes full of unconditional love while one of Erin's arms is reaching up for him.

She’s grown so much in the four months since her birth, Arthur thinks fondly. She’s grown even more since the picture was taken, of course, but it’s incredible to think that just a few months ago, she was just so tiny.

He buys all the copies at the newsagent and then some. One for Morgana, one for his father, one for Hunith, one for each of his teammates, one for Lance and one for Gwen, one for the various people in Arthur's life who will never hear enough about his perfect fiancé and perfect daughter.

And finally, three for him. Well, one is to be put on the coffee table so that their guests can read it when they visit, one is for him to read, and one is to be kept in mint condition, to preserve the memory of this time.

Merlin calls him ridiculous. Arthur can't and won't deny it. So what if he's being ridiculous? He has every reason in the world to be ridiculous.

He waits until Merlin has gone to rehearsals for his play and Erin is napping to read the article. Most of it, he knows already but one question catches his attention.

_"Has this experience changed Arthur?"_

_"A bit, I guess. He's still a prat, and a royal one at that. But he's also… softer, I guess. More reverent. I think he's grown. Like when I started showing, it's not always easy, you know? Actually, maybe you don’t know. Anyway. It’s not easy. Honestly, I felt horrible and fat most of the time. Arthur… Well, he's terrible at dealing with people's emotions. He gets that from his father, actually. The first time, he actually called me fat. But he learnt, gradually. He's still a prat but he learnt how to comfort me in his own way. He's a good father though, despite what he thinks. And Erin absolutely loves him. His chest is great for hugs, you know."_

Arthur feels warm and happy inside, the way he always does when Merlin pays him a compliment.

It doesn't last. The last page of the spread is a full-page picture of Merlin holding Erin. He's sitting on the window sill of the studio, somewhere in the city, completely naked but for a pair of short, white boxers. Arthur smiles a bit. Merlin's belly is still a bit round from having a baby, and bigger than it is now, but they've done a good job of hiding the many stretch marks and how his skin is still a bit saggy with photoshop.

Merlin hates his stomach, even more than when he was huge and still pregnant, so for him to expose it like this… Arthur's more than a bit proud, really.

It's only then that Arthur notices that Merlin's breastfeeding Erin, cradling her close as he looks out the window. It's a beautiful photo, really, but it's so… _intimate_. Only Arthur should see Merlin like this.

Erin's sleeping and it's late when Merlin gets home so Arthur confronts him immediately.

"You let them take a picture of you _breastfeeding_?" he whispers loudly so as to not wake Erin. When Merlin doesn't answer, just shrugs at him, amused, Arthur continues. "That's _indecent_!"

This time, Merlin rolls his eyes. "There's nothing indecent about breastfeeding, Arthur. It's perfectly natural."

"But you shouldn't let them take pictures of you like that! You're only providing perverts with wank material!"

Merlin smiles at him, all false innocence and sweetness. He looks so dangerous like that, Arthur loves it. "What, perverts like you, you mean?"

"I am not a pervert," Arthur sputters indignantly.

"Oh no?" Merlin asks, cupping his small breasts with his hands. "So you don't like drinking from these in the evening before we go to bed? It doesn't make you hard?"

Merlin licks his bottom lip before biting it and Arthur gulps.

"Should I stop then? Stop letting you suck my tits until they're empty, until you're so close to coming that the slightest touch to your cock makes you come?"

Arthur can't even speak, he's so turned on. He just shakes his head, incapable of taking his eyes away from the small swells of Merlin's breasts as Merlin fondles them slowly.

"I thought so," Merlin says, smiling triumphantly. "Come here, Arthur."

Arthur complies immediately, pulling Merlin close with one arm and cupping one of his breasts under the thin, threadbare T-shirt with the other. It feels so heavy, so hot, Merlin must be in pain from it. He's been gone most of the day so he hasn't had the opportunity to feed their daughter.

"They hurt so much, Arthur," Merlin murmurs, his lips brushing against Arthur's with every word. "So full of milk, feels like they're going to burst."

Arthur squeezes the soft mound gently, relishing Merlin's part-pleasure, part-pained groan. The T-shirt grows dark and damp around the nipple where a bit of milk has leaked. Arthur brushes his thumb over Merlin's small nipple, spreading the wetness around it, then brings it up to his mouth to suck the sweet, sticky liquid.

"Arthur, please," Merlin moans. "Want your mouth."

"Come on, bedroom," Arthur gasps.

As soon as they’re in the bedroom, Arthur closes the door behind them. His mind has gone fuzzy with lust, but he still has the presence of mind to remember to shut the door quietly so as to not wake Erin from her nap.

He turns and pulls Merlin’s T-shirt off, dropping it on the floor without a second thought.

“Fuck,” he whispers reverently, softly tracing his hand down Merlin’s flank. “You’re so hot, Merlin.”

Merlin bites his lip to hide his smile and dips his head bashfully, looking up at Arthur through his lashes. “Yeah?”

“Fuck yeah,” Arthur says, leaning in to kiss Merlin on the crook of his long, pale neck. He feels so warm and smells so familiar, so Arthur takes his time kissing, licking, sucking at the pale skin on Merlin’s neck, all the while fondling his small, heated breasts with one hand. His other hand is busy unsuccessfully fiddling with Merlin’s belt, trying to undo it so that he can take his trousers off.

He can feel more than hear Merlin’s laugh, dark, seductive. Then Merlin's hands are pushing his hand away, deftly undoing his belt and opening his trousers while Arthur continues lavishing attention on his neck and breasts.

“Arthur,” Merlin moans, burying his hands in Arthur’s hair. “Thought you wanted to suck my tits.”

Arthur feels his cock twitch in his boxers at that, can feel it leaking pre-come.

“On the bed,” Arthur gasps. He’s so aroused right now he’s already breathing heavily. Fuck, the things Merlin does to him.

Arthur quickly pulls his own clothes off, dropping them on the floor to join Merlin.

When he turns round, Merlin is propped up against their pillows, one finger toying with his small, dark nipple. Arthur never had any intention of taking it slowly, but seeing Merlin fondle his breasts drives him even closer to the edge, makes him feel a sense of urgency. He _needs_ to be with Merlin, and he needs it now.

Arthur lies on the bed next to Merlin and reaches over, propping himself up with one elbow by Merlin’s side, and bends down to lick the nipple Merlin was just playing with. It’s hard and wet with leaking milk, and when his tongue touches it, Merlin gasps, and his fingers in Arthur’s hair clench.

“Fuck,” he moans as Arthur’s mouth latches onto his nipple to suckle at it.

He doesn’t need to be careful tonight. Merlin’s left several bottles full of his milk in the fridge in case rehearsals went on longer than planned. That means Arthur can suck Merlin’s tits until they’re dry, and nothing’s going to stop him.

He stops holding himself up with his elbow and instead lets it drift to Merlin’s other breast. The skin is silky smooth, and it feels hot and heavy. Arthur knows Merlin must be in pain from these beauties. He squeezes the full tit and feels milk trickle down Merlin’s breast, down his arm. He thumbs the wet nipple, smearing the warm liquid over the dark nub as he sucks harder on the other breast.

“Fuck, Arthur,” Merlin moans, writhing beneath him. “Not so hard, they’re sore and they hurt!”

But Arthur can’t help himself. It’s almost too much for him, the warm milk slowly filling his belly as suckles greedily, the warmth of Merlin’s breasts against his own heated skin, the way he inhales the heady scent of Merlin with every breath he takes, the way Merlin moves against him, warm skin flush against warm skin, Merlin’s soft, breathy moans. He’s completely surrounded and he’s never been harder in his life.

Soon Merlin’s breast is empty. But instead of immediately latching onto the other nipple, Arthur moves down to press kisses to Merlin’s belly. It’s still soft and saggy and loose from the baby and it’s striped with beautiful stretch marks. Arthur loves the way it looks, even though Merlin absolutely hates it and hates it when Arthur pays attention to it.

“Don’t,” Merlin moans as Arthur dips his tongue into Merlin’s navel. “Please don’t, Arthur.”

“Your belly’s beautiful, Merlin,” Arthur murmurs against the round flesh, his lips brushing it with every syllable.

“It’s not, it’s awful,” Merlin says, trying to pull Arthur back up to his breasts. “Thought you wanted to suck my tits.”

“I love your belly,” Arthur continues. “It’s beautiful because it carried our baby for nine months, and this is the proof of all your sacrifices. Can’t get enough of it.”

Merlin seems to settle down at that and lets Arthur kiss and lick and love his stomach. It doesn’t take long before Arthur’s erection makes itself known, pressing, urgent, and Arthur feels the need to suck Merlin’s other tit.

Soon, both Merlin’s breasts are empty and Merlin is looking up at him with glassy, unfocused eyes. He leans up to kiss Arthur, pulling them both down to lie on the bed, flush against one another. Arthur can feel Merlin’s hard cock pressing against his thigh, and if he moves, he can feel his own cock rub against Merlin’s belly.

“Love you,” Arthur whispers, leaning in to kiss Merlin again as he starts thrusting against Merlin.

“Love you more,” Merlin moans teasingly.

They’re both so hard now, so desperate for relief, that it doesn’t take more than a few thrusts before Merlin is arching up against him and Arthur can feel his hot come splatter against his thigh. It’s not much longer before Arthur is coming himself with Merlin's name on his lips.

*

Arthur was right, Merlin looks _amazing_ in that skin-tight leotard with the lingering roundness from pregnancy. He greets Merlin with a kiss the moment he's off the stage and runs his hand over the firm swell of his arse before squeezing it gently.

It's been six months and nine days since Merlin gave birth and he's managed to lose most of the weight he gained during the pregnancy, as Arthur knew he would. He didn't even need to exercise or diet, he just dropped the weight naturally by looking after his family.

Everyone's a bit jealous, secretly. Even sweet, mild-mannered Gwen had a choice word or two when she saw how quickly Merlin was slimming down.

"How was it?" Merlin asks. His eyes are wide and he's almost jumping in place, buzzing with excitement and adrenaline from the show. He can't stay still for a second. He's beautiful like this.

"You were brilliant," Arthur says. "You're _amazing_ , Merlin."

He can't take his eyes off his fiancé. He's absolutely glowing with happiness. Merlin was made for theatre, it's his natural environment. Sometimes, Arthur feels a bit bitter that he's not the one to elicit such a response from Merlin. Tonight isn't one of those nights.

"I hope they don't need your leotard back because I have plans for it," Arthur murmurs. He pulls Merlin closer, letting him feel the start of an erection in his trousers.

"Arthur," Merlin laughs, trying to push him away. "Can't you wait till we get home?"

Arthur's just about to answer, something about being unable to resist him that would have made Merlin laugh harder, when they're interrupted by a flash of bright light.

"Bloody photographers," Arthur growls against Merlin's ear.

Arthur had honestly thought that, after six months, the public would have grown tired of monitoring their every move. Arthur certainly is tired of it, and he knows for a fact that Merlin is too.

"Tell you what," Merlin says, giving Arthur a smouldering look. He bites his lower lip coyly and bends his head forward, looking up at Arthur through his eyelashes, all pretend innocence. Arthur is completely entranced by the sight. "I'm just going to pull some clothes on then you can take me home and show me just how brilliant you think I am. I'm sure mum won't mind spending the night with her favourite granddaughter."

"Sounds good," Arthur manages a bit breathlessly.

Merlin just laughs and rubs his crotch against Arthur's, slowly, deliberately. "Won't be long," he says, leaning closer still to press a playful kiss to Arthur's lips before moving away, leaving Arthur feeling a bit cold and empty, craving Merlin's touch.

He can only hope that the photographer didn't manage to take a picture of _that_ or his father will almost certainly have another fit.


End file.
